ESA when living abroad

LadyCava

Thanks for (some of) the replies. I, like many others, are working my way through the new system and maybe didn't explain myself very well. I am NI contribution based ESA as I worked all my life until I was almost 50, when my specialist in the UK told me I could no longer work owing to my disability, combined with severe depression. I claim only what I am entitled to and had to give up my high rate mobility (DLA as was) when I moved to Spain in an effort to improve my health. My appeal relates to being moved to the support group from the WRAG and I have only just been asked to attend a medical AFTER I said I was appealing. I really would appreciate those undertanding and empathetic people who responded to give further advice if possible and would respectfully ask that those who clearly do not understand the nature of my disability and/or the system to refrain from posting.

Parva

Oh it's Andy. We should have a statutory "ANDY" marker on such posters.

FBaby

Your problem might be with your definition of depression. For one, clinically, you don't suffer from severe depression, but major depression. A diagnosis of major depression would be given if you met a certain number of symptoms. These symptoms would be such that planning a move to Spain for a new life would be just about impossible. If you have moved whilst suffering from depression, it is likely that the ATOS assessment would question the diagnosis of major depression.

I am not writing this to be unpleasant, just to provide some perspective to the ATOS decision. Of course, that doesn't mean that you don't have a case to appeal on the basis of your other medical complaints.

benefitbaby

The most important thing you need to do is read the support group descriptors because you will need to meet one of these to succeed in your appeal. If you can get medical evidence that shows you meet the criteria and send this to the DWP they may well revise their decision and decide not to have you attend an assessment.

However until they change the decision it is a mandatory requirement that you attend a medical if you fail to do this without good reason then they can and will stop your ESA.

Support group descriptors: http://www.tameside.gov.uk/esa/lcwra

As others have noted payment of conts-based ESA for people not in the support group stops after 365 days although NI credits continue.

Brassedoff

If true, this is disgusting! I am writing to my MP now. Quite frankly I don't give a stuff what anyone's paid in, leave the UK, lose any and every benefit and that goes for pensioners too.

You chose to live in Spain and when in Rome!

LadyCava

Many thanks to those with very helpful and supportive comments, plus great links! Have now requested medical in UK, as I know I will have to pay for travel (always get good service on Ryanair for wheelchair and lift on/off plane I must say), but am getting so anxious about having an assessment conducted in Spanish or Catalan, thought it best..and hopefully with more notice! Would also highly recommend Black Triangle Disability Group for excellent advice and guides for anyone going through process

LadyCava

Just a brief reply to brassedoff...check the law as to exportable benefits. I didn't make it and neither did the other approx 5800 disabled people claining beneffits whilst living abroad, under the reciprocal arrangements. I am at a loss as to why people who have nothing positive to say bother to post such comments and make what is already a difficult situation worse. If anyone truly believes that I'd willingly give up a career I loved with a £40,000 plus salary to clain benefits then I suppose they are entitled to their opinion...

Brassedoff

LadyCava wrote: »

Many thanks to those with very helpful and supportive comments, plus great links! Have now requested medical in UK, as I know I will have to pay for travel (always get good service on Ryanair for wheelchair and lift on/off plane I must say), but am getting so anxious about having an assessment conducted in Spanish or Catalan, thought it best..and hopefully with more notice! Would also highly recommend Black Triangle Disability Group for excellent advice and guides for anyone going through process

Let me get this right. You've moved to Spain in order to benefit from the heat? Yet you have eluded to living in the north east of that country. Having worked across Spain for over ten years at different cities. I know the winter in the north east, while dry is quite often colder than in the UK that benefited from the Gulf Stream. Barcelona from November to March can be -4 in the day quite often, so how does this help your back?

This nation has massive cuts to face. Paying money to expats is a total joke. You chose to live abroad, no matter where it is. This means you are draining money from this country. You no longer contribute to the UK. No local taxes, no VAT, no consumption in the UK. as for contributing. You and everyone need to get real. What little you pay, you use at the time of living here. Pay £3200 in tax through your job, yet go to the doctors, put kids through School, receive hospital treatment in the same year and your current account with UK PLC, would be overdrawn.

I am not kicking you. I am kicking the system that allows people living abroad to claim benefits here. Move abroad and live off savings or whatever job you move to.

LadyCava

I joined this site to ask people for assistance, not for abusive, negative downright ignorant and prejudiced views by folk who clearly have nothing better to do than stalk people in need to vent their spleen. I have absolutely no wish to continue having to read posts from such people, so will seek advice elsewhere. I would once again like to thank those who have given support and advice, which I will follow up, but how depressing it is to think that there are such saddos out there who are so up themselves they are clearly speaking from their nether regions and actually must sit in their lonely little worlds with nothing to sustain them but calculating how venomous they can be to people they know nothing about....get a life comes to mind

seven-day-weekend

Brassedoff wrote: »

If true, this is disgusting! I am writing to my MP now. Quite frankly I don't give a stuff what anyone's paid in, leave the UK, lose any and every benefit and that goes for pensioners too.

You chose to live in Spain and when in Rome!

Rome's in Italy.